Resurgence
by i-luv-tom-welling
Summary: A town mourns when a hero (Whitney) is lost, but after he's mysteriously been given a second chance at life, how do they react? New relationships are forged, and old ones reconsidered. Secrets which have been hidden for so long are finally revealed.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Smallville or any of its characters, etc. They all belong to DC, the WB, and TPTB. Two names in this story, Sergeant Marc Leger and Private Richard Green are used only in dedication.  
  
I started writing this pretty much immediately after Visage, because I was so distraught. As I mentioned above, two of the names in this story belong to real people. In mid April, 2002, these two men died along with two others while training in Afghanistan, in a bombing accident. I felt that since their deaths were similar to Whitney's, and since their story also affected me a lot, I would include them and dedicate this story to them as well as all the war heroes of our time, and of course, Eric Johnson. This story is Post-Whitney (Post Visage), but the only part of Visage included would be his death. I do not mention anything else that happened in that episode, as if it never happened. So... at the moment this is a WIP, but I'm feeding it in bits, so i have time to finish it. I hope you like it!! Comments are appreciated too!  
  
Resurgence  
  
Whitney watched in horror as another shell was dropped from the cloudy sky. He tried to run, but the mud on the ground fought to keep him standing in the same place. A fellow soldier looked on from afar, and screamed at him to move, but it was too late. The shell exploded, and the blast forced Whitney to the ground, embedded shrapnel and rocks in his skin, and ripped most of his clothes to shreds.  
  
He looked up, and watched with tears in his eyes as his platoon leader loomed over him. Blood rose up in his throat, and Whitney knew it was the end. Releasing his last raspy breath, he whispered just loud enough for his comrade to hear.  
  
"Tell Lana... tell her... I love her..."  
  
Tears gently washed his face as the world began to darken. It wasn't supposed to end this way. He wanted to live. He wanted to go home.   
Sergeant Marc Léger watched with sorrow as Whitney's body went limp. He removed Whitney's pack and gun, then beckoned one of the other soldiers over. "Private, help me carry him back to base." One of Whitney's greatest war friends, Private Richard Green, went over to the body, only to discover whose it was. Without a word, both men lifted Whitney's body and began to walk. And then, as if on purpose, it began to rain. The sky cried, and poured large drops of water onto the ground and the men. Richard, who was behind the Sergeant, carried Whitney's upper half. He watched the rain slowly wash the blood from Whitney's wounds. As they neared the base, both soldiers were drenched in rain and silent tears. They placed Whitney's body on the surgical table inside the camp. The doctor came in, and Sergeant Léger explained what happened. With no more than a nod of understanding in response, the doctor took a pair of surgical scissors and began to remove the shredded clothes from Whitney's body. Next, he took a pair of tweezers and began to take the pieces of shrapnel and rocks from Whitney's chest, arms, and legs. While the doctor was removing the pieces from Whitney's chest, he noticed that something had become very deeply embedded in the area of his heart. The end of a gold chain from a necklace hung out of the wound. Instead of trying to pull it out, the doctor cut the end off, and stitched the hole up without a second thought. In less than an hour, the body was ready to be packed in ice to be sent back to Kansas for proper funeral preparation.  
  
Richard was assigned to escort his friend's body back home. They had packed Whitney's body in a finely crafted wooden crate in the shape of a casket, with a mixture of sawdust and ice for preservation. The flight was 19 hours, and departed overnight. Richard didn't have much more to do than sleep during the flight. Occasionally he would wake up and mournfully look upon the temporary casket of his friend, but it only depressed him further. Whitney had been like a brother to him, even saved his life once, risking his own. They weren't very far apart in age either; Richard was younger by a few months, having only just turned 19. Though they had only known each other for 6 months or so, it felt like forever. Richard wasn't exactly popular when he was in high school, and having someone like Whitney as a friend seemed like a miracle. They would often discuss past relationships with girls, though the main topic usually seemed to be Whitney's recent ex- girlfriend, Lana, and other things from back in Smallville. To Richard, it sounded like a wonderful place. A small town where everyone knew everyone, and most of all, there were close, friendly relationships between families. Through the seemingly endless hours of sleeping and pleasant memories, one main stream of thought continued to run through his head. This man changed his life. Whitney transformed Richard from a meek teen into a confident man. They both knew what they wanted to do with their lives when they could go home. Whitney was going to try for a football scholarship again, and Richard wanted to go to university and study computer sciences. Now he didn't know if he'd even try. 


	2. Chapter 2

The plane finally landed mid-day in a private Kansas military air base. Richard helped the ground crew unload Whitney's body from the back of the plane. They took it away in a hearse to go directly to the funeral home.  
  
Smallville was only a 10-minute drive away, and Richard was both excited and anxious to get there. Whitney's mother, Mrs. Fordman, had already been told of Whitney's death and their arrival, and had invited Richard to stay in her home for as long as he wanted. He accepted, but mostly out of duty. She would probably need his comforting for the next few days, or even weeks. Richard really didn't know how long he had to stay in Smallville. The army would surely expect him back at some point.  
  
Soon enough, Richard's small military Jeep pulled into Mrs. Fordman's driveway. The house looked perfect, painted light blue with snow-covered bushes in front. Richard wondered what it would look like in the summer, with all the flowers in bloom. He walked up to the door and knocked on it with a shaky hand. A woman in her mid-forties answered the door. She immediately hugged him, and began to weep softly.  
  
"You look just like him." Mrs. Fordman said with tears in her eyes, and stood back to admire her son's friend.  
  
Richard just smiled sympathetically, not knowing what exactly to say. "Mrs. Fordman, you had an extraordinary son. Whitney was the greatest friend that I've ever had. He even saved my life. Coming here is the least I can do."  
  
She smiled back, and invited him inside. There seemed to be a picture of Whitney on every table and wall. Some of them were with him and another girl, who Richard suspected to be Lana, while others were of him playing football, or fishing with another man, who was probably Whitney's father. It made Richard think back to his own home, and he wondered if his parents had done the same.  
  
The two of them sat down at the kitchen table, and were soon immersed in a deep conversation about fond memories of Whitney. Mrs. Fordman even talked about his childhood, and the family camping trips they used to take. Richard began to feel more and more like he'd known Whitney since before he could remember. He just wished he was still alive. 


	3. Chapter 3

The hearse arrived at the funeral home shortly after Richard got to Whitney's house. Two men came out and brought the plywood casket inside, down into the mortuary. They opened the wooden container carefully with crowbars, and then brought Whitney's body out for the mortician to prepare. After they left the room, a green glow seemed to emit from Whitney's chest. It got so intense, the light almost seemed to be defrosting his body, and turned his skin from pale blue to light pink. A few minutes later, the mortician entered the room, and the glowing had stopped. But when he got near the body, it felt warm. Suddenly the chest rose ever so slightly, and very slowly, then fell in the same manner. But it was enough movement to catch the mortician's eye. Shocked, he cried out in surprise.  
  
"Yo, this guy's not dead yet!" The mortician yelled out the door of the mortuary.  
  
In less than 10 minutes, and ambulance had arrived and taken Whitney away to the Smallville General Hospital. Another one was called shortly afterwards, because the mortician had gone into a state of shock from his experience. 


	4. Chapters 4 & 5

* * *  
  
Suddenly the phone rang, which caused both Richard and Mrs. Fordman to jump a little. There had been an uncomfortable silence for a few minutes, because they had just finished talking about Whitney's last moments on Earth. Mrs. Fordman stood up to answer it.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Yes, is Elizabeth Fordman there?" A kind male voice answered.  
  
She looked over at Richard, then replied. "Speaking." She said.  
  
"Mrs. Fordman, this is Dr. Joseph Brown, from the Smallville General Hospital. I'm calling about your son. He has just been delivered by ambulance to the ICU." He said softly.  
  
Mrs. Fordman sighed, "I'm sorry, but you must be mistaken. My son died two days ago."  
  
Dr. Brown paused on the other end of the line. "So your son is not Private Whitney Fordman?"  
  
She was beginning to get slightly aggravated now. It must be some sick joke being carried out. "He is, but I told you, my son died two days ago during combat in Indonesia. Now if you don't mind, I'd like you to stop your sick humour and leave me alone."  
  
"But-"  
  
Before Dr. Brown could get more than a word out, Mrs. Fordman hung up the phone and slouched against the wall, with her hand on her forehead.  
  
Richard stood up, knowing something was obviously wrong. "Who was that?"  
  
She shook her head. "Some 'doctor' claiming that Whitney is at the hospital, in the ICU. Who would come up with a sick joke like that?" She asked.  
  
Confused, he tilted his head to the side slightly. What if it wasn't a joke? Though it was practically impossible, there was always that 0.01% chance. "Well, what if it wasn't a joke." He said semi-casually.  
  
Mrs. Fordman gave a small laugh, then shook her head again. "Richard, please. I've been through enough disappointment recently, I don't need you getting my hopes up over the impossible."  
  
Her eyes held so much sorrow that Richard could barely stand to look at her. ". I think I'll go check it out anyway." He replied.  
  
She shrugged her shoulders, then turned towards the window above the kitchen sink. "Do whatever you want Richard, just don't get your hopes too high." Mrs. Fordman held back her tears. She'd done enough crying lately, and it was time to let go.  
  
Richard understood, but he just had the feeling that it was for real. Somehow, Whitney was still alive, and he was going to find out. He left the house and drove into town with his Jeep to ask for directions to the hospital.  
  
* * *  
  
Lana exited the Talon into the cool outdoors with a forlorn expression. Ever since she found out about Whitney's death she had felt so alone, so helpless. The guilt of sending the video letter to Whitney back in the fall was what had her down the most. Lana felt like crying every time she thought about it. What if she never sent it? What if she had told Whitney before he left that she would wait for him? Thoughts danced madly in her head like a whirlwind, pressing her into further depression. Whitney died thinking that she didn't care, didn't have feelings for him. And the separation only really made Lana's longing for him greater, and her love for him more passionate. If only she had one more chance.  
  
Richard recognized the girl walking out the doors of the café, and pulled over.  
  
"Hey, Lana?" He asked as she walked by.  
  
".Yes?" Lana turned, and eyed the young man in the military dress uniform, which was similar to the one her late ex-boyfriend once wore.  
  
Richard stepped out of his car and offered his hand to her. "My name's Private Richard Green. I fought beside Whitney in Indonesia."  
  
She shook his hand, and gave a little smile. Lana couldn't believe how similar Richard looked to Whitney. He was nearly the same height, perhaps a bit shorter, and had about the same colour hair. He also had the brightest blue eyes she'd ever seen. She stammered out a reply. "Uh, it's nice to meet you."  
  
"I was wondering if you could give me directions to the hospital? There's something I want to check out there." He asked casually.  
  
Lana nodded. "Sure, you just head down this road to the second set of traffic lights, then take a left onto Parker Avenue. At the first stop sign, take a right onto Potter Street. Drive up that road for a few minutes and the hospital should appear on your left." She smiled.  
  
Richard smiled back. "Thank you very much."  
  
Lana watched as he got back into his Jeep. "No problem." She paused. ". If you don't mind me asking, who, or what are you going to see?"  
  
He turned the key to turn on the engine, then replied. "Well, this may sound kind of stupid, but we got a phone call saying Whitney's in the ICU there. I mean, I don't know how he could be alive. Not that I don't want him to be, but I was with him basically from the moment he died."  
  
Lana's eyes widened, and she froze. A shiver passed through her spine. "Could. Could I come along? You know, just in case?" She had to be optimistic. What if he really was there?  
  
"Yeah, sure, any company would be great." Richard smiled warmly. At least he wasn't the only one who believed that Whitney really could be alive in the hospital. He opened the passenger door for Lana. She climbed in beside him, and they drove away.  
  
They arrived at the hospital a few minutes later, and parked in one of the few available parking spots left, at the back of the lot. A chill January wind blew by, and Richard watched as Lana shivered in her thin jacket. Though he himself was frozen as well, he offered his uniform's jacket to her. "Would you like my jacket? It's going to be a few minutes walk from here."  
  
Lana looked ahead at the distance they had to walk, but shook her head. "No thanks." She said politely. Though she had broken up with Whitney, and he was supposed to be dead, Lana felt that taking Richard's jacket would be disloyal. They both picked up the pace, while trying to ignore the cold wind burning they cheeks and noses.  
  
The automatic sliding glass doors opened for them as they reached the front entrance, and warm air flowed out towards them. Lana took a few more quick steps and was soon inside the warm, sterile building. The sharp smell of antiseptics filled Richard's nose immediately, causing him to cough a little. As they took in their surroundings, they quickly realized how crowded the emergency room was. Carefully, Lana and Richard excused their way to the front desk. Richard stepped up.  
  
"Uh, hi. We got a phone call a little while ago saying that Whitney Fordman is here." He wasn't exactly sure how to approach the matter.  
  
The nurse at the desk typed up Whitney's name into her computer and paused to read the screen. "Yes, he arrived this afternoon to the ICU, but has recently been moved to room 145, in the Shuster Ward. Are you family?"  
  
Lana stood beside Richard quietly, but excited and anxious. Could it really be? Whitney was alive? She smiled uneasily. "No, but we're close friends."  
  
"Is there any way we could see him?" Richard asked. He felt the same as Lana.  
  
"Of course." The nurse smiled, "I'll just notify Dr. Brown that you're coming. The room is down the hall to the left, then take a right. It should be on the right hand side." She pointed out the directions to them.  
  
Richard smiled. "Thank you very much."  
  
The two of them started down the corridor with mixed feelings. It wouldn't be true until they could see Whitney alive and breathing, but just the pure thought of it was mind-boggling. Richard himself carried Whitney's dead body through the muddy fields of Indonesia, to the base. Even the doctor couldn't do anything to bring him back. So how? How was it possible? It was the only question that both Richard and Lana wanted answered the most.  
  
Soon Lana realized that they had both been standing in front of the door to room 145 for at least a few minutes. She looked up at Richard, who appeared to be deep in thought, and was staring at the door. Wanting to break the uncomfortable silence, Lana spoke quietly. "Well, shall we?" She put on a hopeful smile.  
  
Richard snapped out of his trance and looked down at Lana with an almost confused, but determined expression, and nodded slowly.  
  
She reached out and turned the cold metal door handle, then slowly pushed the door open. The sound of a TV hit their ears instantly as they walked in and saw Whitney, propped up in bed, watching football on the small TV hanging from the ceiling in the corner of the small room.  
  
Whitney watched them walk in and smiled a little. "Hey," He reached for the controller and turned the volume down.  
  
Lana gasped in surprise. Whitney was there. Alive. Home. She brought her trembling hand up and covered her mouth.  
  
Richard just stared in disbelief, with his mouth hanging slightly open. He couldn't believe his eyes. It really was him.  
  
After a strange moment of silence, Lana ran over and hugged Whitney, and began to cry. "I can't believe it's you. Whitney, I've missed you so much." She never wanted to let go.  
  
Whitney gave her an awkward hug back. "Hey, it's alright. I'm here now."  
  
Lana let go so Richard could say hi. He went over and gave Whitney a friendly handshake. "Hey, how've you been?" Richard asked.  
  
"Not too bad. A little sore. Otherwise, enjoying the game." Whitney smiled a little, but his expression was quick to turn confused. "But I still don't know how I got here."  
  
Lana looked at Richard. She realized that he never explained to her, either, how Whitney came to be in the hospital. Both Lana and Whitney looked at Richard, waiting for an answer.  
  
Richard concentrated on the window in front of him and hesitated. What he was going to tell both Whitney and Lana would be just as unbelievable as it was that Whitney was sitting right in front of them. "Well. I'm not too clear on that either, Whitney. You actually. died in combat in Indonesia. There was no way you could've. But, obviously. Uh." He was at a loss for words.  
  
Confused, Whitney looked at Richard. "I was in Indonesia?" He asked, almost not believing him.  
  
Both Richard and Lana looked at each other, more confused than Whitney. Richard turned his head slightly, still looking at Whitney with a confused half-smile. "Um, do the Marine Corps ring a bell?"  
  
Whitney shook his head with a serious expression. Suddenly, a look of understanding came over his face. "Oh," he said, almost sadly, "I guess you haven't spoken to my doctor yet. I, uh, have amnesia." Whitney thought they had known the whole time, and were trying to be nice about it. In truth, he didn't even know their names, let alone their relationship with him.  
  
Lana felt as if her heart had been torn in two. No wonder why Whitney's hug wasn't as warm as usual, and when he looked at her, his eyes seemed to be empty. void of any emotion for her. He didn't even know that they used to go out. Though Lana tried to convince herself that she still loved Whitney, she knew it was hopeless. The love they once shared was gone, confined to her memories forever. A silent tear rolled down Lana's cheek, and she nodded in understanding. She knew that she might break at any moment, and quickly excused herself from the room.  
  
Richard and Whitney watched Lana make her quick exit. "Did I say something wrong?" Whitney asked.  
  
Not knowing if it was any of his business to speak about Lana's former relationship with Whitney, Richard gave a false response. "I think she had something really spicy for lunch."  
  
Though he could see right through the lie and knew something else was up, Whitney nodded. "Oh, ok. So, I take it we were in the Marine Corps together?" He asked, noting the dress uniform Richard was wearing.  
  
"Yeah, we met in basic training back in June. You really helped me gain confidence and become a real soldier. Actually, you saved my life in a basic training exercise." Richard flashed back in his memory to a sunny, hot day in July, when they were out in the combat training fields. That day, the trainees were working with hand grenades. The pin on Richard's grenade had caught on a zipper on his uniform, and pulled loose. Whitney was the first to notice, and courageously grabbed it from Richard's hand and whipped it far away from the troops. His football skills came into play once again. The grenade exploded in mid-air, but far enough away that only a few people suffered very minor injuries. After that, Richard was sure he was going to be removed from the Marines, but Whitney was able to convince several generals, on Richard's behalf, that it really was an accident and could have happened to anyone, including himself.  
  
Taken slightly by surprise, Whitney let out a short breath sharply. "I saved your life?" Suddenly he felt the expectations for himself rise. If he saved this guy's life, did people expect him to be some sort of hero? Was he a lot more than he thought he was cracked up to be?  
  
Richard nodded. "Yeah, actually you pretty much saved the whole platoon. Oh, by the way, my name's Richard, Richard Green." He smiled. It had slipped his mind that Whitney really had no clue who anyone was. "And the girl that was here, that was Lana Lang."  
  
"Excuse me a moment, boys." Dr. Brown entered the room. "Whitney, would you mind if I took your friend out into the hall for a moment?" He asked.  
  
"Yeah, no problem." Whitney said, and turned his attention back to the football game. He didn't want to know any more about himself. Whoever "Whitney" was then, certainly sounded like some big shot. What if he never got his memory back? Could he still live up to his own reputation? Whitney didn't even know if he wanted to. He just wasn't that person anymore. But would others accept him the way he was now? He felt alone. Everyone was a stranger. 


	5. Chapter 6

Dr. Brown directed Richard out into the hall, and shut the door behind them. "As I'm sure you know by now, Whitney has suffered a temporary loss of memory from his accident. Other than that, he has no visible signs of injury."  
  
"Wait a minute, Whitney didn't just have an 'accident', he died, ok? He died in Indonesia from a mortar shell. There's no way he can be alive, and not have any injuries! I was there, I saw what happened." He was almost shouting. It was just too much for Richard to take. It didn't take a rocket scientist, or a doctor to know that you can't have a bomb dropped on you and survive, without injury.  
  
The doctor gave Richard a strange look. "You must be mistaken. Yes, Whitney has suffered a slight trauma to the head, but nothing more. Although."  
  
"What?" Richard asked.  
  
"When we took some x-rays, we found an object lodged deep into his chest, a necklace. The surgery was risky, but it would have been more dangerous to leave it inside, because the metals could have caused a severe infection. Whitney was sent to the ICU after the operation because his left lung was affected slightly by the surgery, and we didn't want to risk it collapsing, or filling with blood. After a few hours of observation, and another x-ray, he appeared to be fine, which is why he's here now."  
  
Richard was still puzzled. "You found a necklace in his chest?" His eyes widened. Suddenly, he recalled Whitney showing him, time and time again, the necklace that Lana had given him before he left Smallville. Whitney had mentioned it was made of the meteor rock that killed her parents. He had also described a theory that had been floating around Smallville that the meteor rocks were the cause of a lot of strange happenings. Could that be the case? Richard had always laughed at Whitney's stories of Sean the ice- boy, and Tina the shape-shifter, who had even impersonated Whitney once. The idea seemed bogus to him, but it might have just been the answer he was looking for. "Uh, do you have the necklace here?"  
  
Dr. Brown shook his head. "No, it was sent away to S.T.A.R. Labs to be tested, to make sure none of the metals were poisonous to the blood stream. We received the results, but they don't often send things like that back. I'm sure if it was something precious, you could contact them to see if they could return it."  
  
"Ok. Then um, what did it look like?"  
  
"It was a green rock with a gold coloured chain, I think." The doctor replied.  
  
Suddenly, Richard spotted Mrs. Fordman running up the hall with a small duffel bag over her shoulder. She approached the doctor and Richard and spoke breathlessly. "Lana called and told me. Is. is it true?"  
  
Richard nodded, but Dr. Brown began to speak. "Are you Mrs. Fordman?" He asked.  
  
"Yes, I am Mrs. Fordman. I assume you're Dr. Brown?"  
  
The doctor and Mrs. Fordman were soon walking down the hall in discussion about Whitney's situation. Richard was left alone outside of Whitney's room. He didn't know if he wanted to go back in and talk with Whitney. It was just so weird. What was the point of talking with him if he couldn't remember anything? Richard knew it would be boring just to sit there and tell Whitney about the Marines. He decided to go look for Lana. She couldn't have gone too far, the waiting room perhaps. Besides, he thought, Mrs. Fordman would be back soon enough, and she'd want to spend a lot of time with Whitney. 


	6. Chapter 7

The monsoon rain fell heavily around them as they advanced through the thick, muddy swamp. Clark looked to the men on his left, all people he didn't know, but they all shared the same expression of determination. He didn't understand why he was there, or where they were going. Suddenly, he heard a voice from a man on his right.  
  
"This is it. We're lost... We're never going to get home." The man's voice held a bitter, stale note of reality. Not necessarily sorrow, but had no hope left. He looked to Clark. "Man, you're so lucky. At least you'll leave a legacy behind."  
  
Clark was shaken. Did he know about his powers? What was this guy talking about? Clark looked down into the opaque water and caught a glance at his reflection - but it wasn't him. It was Whitney's.  
  
Clark awoke with a start to the sound of the phone ringing. It was only a dream. He had fallen asleep while completing an English assignment. A cold sadness overcame Clark as he remembered the fate of his friend. "Mom, you got that?" he called out and sat up on his bed. "Mom?" After no reply, Clark supersped down to the kitchen and grabbed the receiver off the hook before the 3rd ring. "Hello?"  
  
"Clark! It's me!" Chloe said in an extremely chipper voice, even more so than usual.  
  
Clark held the phone away from his ear in slight agony. She was practically shouting into the phone. "Hey Chloe, listen, I-"  
  
"You'll never believe what's happened!" She exploded with excitement.  
  
"What?" Clark smiled at this unusual, yet usual behaviour from Chloe.  
  
Chloe seemed to make a dramatic pause as she talked quietly to someone else on her side. Clark heard a laugh, then she came back onto the phone.  
  
"Whitney's back!! He's alive!!" She shouted happily, "He's at the Smallville Medical Centre. It's the craziest thing, you gotta come!"  
  
Clark seemed to freeze as he held the phone away from his head. Did his dream mean something? Was it trying to tell him that Whitney was still alive? Mixed feelings crossed his mind as Clark thought of the possibilities.  
  
After a moment, Chloe broke the silence, "Clark? Are you still there?" she asked.  
  
Clark snapped out of his trance and stared at the phone for a second, then put it back to his ear. "Yeah, I'm here. That's really great news Chloe." For some reason, Clark didn't sound as enthusiastic as he should have. It wasn't that he was upset that Whitney lived, something else was bugging him, but he wasn't sure what.  
  
Chloe's voice became somewhat icy, "Look Clark, I know you've had your eye on Lana while Whitney was away, but that's no reason to resent him for surviving. The man fought for the safety of our country, and all you can think of is his girlfriend? I can't believe you could be that shallow."  
  
Before Clark had a chance to defend himself, Chloe hung up. He hadn't even really thought about Lana after Chloe told him the news. Even though Lana had broken up with Whitney, she would definitely be spending a lot of time with him now that he was home. Clark considered calling Chloe back, but wasn't certain where she was calling from, and probably needed some time to cool off. He just hoped she wouldn't stay mad at him for too long. 


	7. Chapter 8

Chloe hated being angry with Clark, but sometimes it was so hard not to be. Although he was her most cherished of friends, he could just be a big dumb ape at times. Especially when it came to relationships. Everyone knew that he had feelings for Lana, but not everyone knew about Chloe's feelings for him. She thought Clark got the clue when they went to the prom together, even though she broke it off the day after. Ever since he had broken the promise he made to her for the dance, things between them, at least, from Chloe's point of view, had been different. Her feelings for Clark were just as strong as ever, but the reality of them ever being together had been shattered. And every time Clark did something in favour of Lana, Chloe felt those shards of shattered hope turn to dust. She sighed, and finally put her cell phone back in her purse. So much for 'plan A'.  
  
When Chloe had arrived at the hospital, she went straight towards Richard, who was waiting in the lobby, knowing that he had to be there for Whitney. She quickly introduced herself as a friend of Whitney's, and sat down on a chair in the row across from him. After she had hung up on Clark, she sat there, slightly embarrassed that she had put up somewhat of a scene. They sat for nearly five minutes without talking.  
  
Richard finally broke the uncomfortable silence. "So, uh, I can go see if we can get in to visit Whitney soon, if you want," he smiled. Although she seemed to have a bit of an attitude, Richard thought Chloe was quite beautiful. The lavender shirt she wore underneath her long black coat complimented her eyes very well.  
  
Chloe looked down slightly in embarrassment when she realized that Richard was checking her out. 'Oh God, please don't let him be some sort of meteor- freak!' she prayed silently. "You know, from what you've told me, I don't think that now is a great time to interv-, er, visit Whitney. Maybe I'll talk to him when he gets out of the hospital," she smiled.  
  
"Yeah, ok," he nodded.  
  
They sat in silence again. Chloe pretended to look for something in her bag, while Richard continued to stare. She pulled out the first thing her hand touched, which was an article that she was working on about a recent disappearance of several artefacts from the Smallville Historical Centre.  
  
The SHC housed all the information on the growth and development of Smallville, starting with stories and artefacts from Ezra Small's time. It was also the kind of place that grade school kids went to every year with their class whether it was necessary or not. Chloe herself had never been there, but was interested to tour the place to find any evidence or clues from the robbery. She was fascinated to find out that Smallville's largest meteorite was stolen from there, as well as some Kawatche tribal outfits, and a jacket that was believed to once belong to Ezra Small. None of the items were of real great value, besides maybe the meteorite, but they seemed to be important to the town.  
  
Chloe was too smart to think that they were someone's way of trying to make a few quick bucks on Ebay. Whoever stole these must have had a greater purpose for them. Whenever a meteor rock was involved, there had to be some crazy experiment going on. But what?  
  
"What's that you're working on?" Richard asked.  
  
Chloe looked up from the paper. Richard had moved to the seat right next to her, which made her somewhat uncomfortable. She smiled politely anyway.  
  
"Oh, this? It's just something I'm working on for the school paper. A couple of things were stolen from the town's history museum. Nothing really big."  
  
Richard nodded understandingly. "I see. What was stolen?"  
  
She put the article back in her bag. Chloe hated it when people read over her shoulder, and especially hated having her drafts read by anyone else.  
  
"It was just a meteorite from the shower in '89, and some old clothing. Someone probably just wanted to make some fast cash and sold them on the Internet." She wasn't about to give away her meteor-rock theory. Clark and Pete were usually the first to go over things like that with her. Besides, Richard may be a non-believer, or not even know about the meteor-rock 'miracles' and disasters. Then again, his best friend did just come back from the dead by unknown causes.  
  
Lana suddenly appeared in the entrance to the lobby looking a little pale. As soon as she spotted Chloe, she went straight towards her.  
  
"He's gone." She said in a hollow voice. 


	8. Chapter 9

Chloe and Richard stood up and exchanged glances.  
  
"What do you mean he's gone?" Chloe asked.  
  
She shrugged her shoulders slightly, "Mrs. Fordman had just left the room for a moment, and I caught up with her in the hall. I took her to the bathroom to clean up, and when we got back to his room, Whitney was gone. His clothes weren't there either.  
  
Chloe frowned. "Where could he have disappeared to? It's not like he'd know where he was going."  
  
"Chloe-" Richard started, and put his hand on her shoulder. It awkwardly reminded her of something Clark would do, but she lightly shook it off.  
  
"Well," he said, "he did seem kind of uncomfortable talking to us. Maybe it all freaked him out or something. I know I'd be uncomfortable having a bunch of people all talking to me, and know more about me than I did. For all we know he could still be wandering around here somewhere. Let's take a look." Richard nodded his head towards the hallway near by, and started walking. The girls followed.  
  
* * *  
  
Whitney finished buttoning his shirt as he carefully walked along the side of a dirt road. He knew it wouldn't be long until someone noticed he was gone. His mother's crying had distressed him so much that he got out of there as soon as Mrs. Fordman was led away by an orderly. None of the area around him seemed familiar in any way, although he didn't really expect it to be. For all he knew, someone kidnapped him and took him to this town and all these people are just crazy, even though that seemed least likely.  
  
He continued to walk along the road, sticking to the shade of the shrubs and trees, until he came upon a farm. After carefully peering into the windows of the house and looking through the barn and fields, he decided it was safe and went up to the loft of the barn. It almost looked like someone's bedroom. At least he could stay there until someone found him. Whitney didn't care how long he had - any time away from all those unfamiliar faces was fine with him.  
  
* * *  
  
It seemed like only five minutes passed until the Kents' phone rang again. Clark answered, knowing who was on the other end of the line.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Clark, we need your help." Chloe said.  
  
Clark smirked. "I thought you were mad at me?"  
  
He heard an exasperated sigh on the other end of the line. "Whatever. Whitney's run away from the hospital. Mrs. Fordman had left the room for just a minute and he, well, he escaped or something. We think he may still be in the building, so Lana and Richard have gone to look. The staff is on alert too."  
  
"Uh, ok. Wait, who's Richard?"  
  
"He's a friend of Whitney's from the Marines. Now will you come and help?" She sounded very impatient.  
  
Clark was already pulling his shoes on by the door. "Yeah, I'll be over there in a sec. See you." As soon as he hung up he was out the door and on his way to the Medical Centre.  
  
Whitney watched out the window of the loft and saw a tall boy speed out of the little yellow farmhouse faster than he thought any man - or animal - could run. He waited for a few minutes before exiting the barn and heading towards the house.  
  
* * *  
  
Within moments Clark was at the hospital and through the doors, walking straight towards Chloe. She was standing by the front desk, chatting with a young male receptionist.  
  
He tapped her shoulder. "Chloe, I'm here. Let's go."  
  
She turned around. "Yeah Clark, just hold on." Chloe faced the receptionist again, and he handed her a thin file with a few papers in it.  
  
"Just don't tell anyone you got these from me, ok?" he asked, timidly.  
  
Chloe winked at him and smiled. "It's our little secret." She turned back around, smiling at Clark, and led him to the doors.  
  
After they were out of hearing range from anyone, he stopped her.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"Clark, you've been asking a lot of questions lately for someone that doesn't show a lot of interest in investigative reporting," she smirked. "I was simply getting some information. You can go a long way by telling a guy he looks hot in blue scrubs, you know." Chloe said playfully, and handed the file to Clark.  
  
Clark opened the file and saw the name Whitney Fordman at the top.  
  
"Chloe you didn't," he started.  
  
"Hey, we have to know what his condition is like if we're going to find him. Besides, I need his medical report for his, um, welcome home article for the Torch."  
  
Chloe took the file back even though Clark hadn't finished looking through it. He never seemed to understand why she did the things she did. It had to be obvious by now - her life was practically dedicated to reporting. What was important about Whitney's medical report, was that it also contained information about what went on before he arrived back in Smallville, from the military doctor in Indonesia. The thing that interested Chloe the most, though, was that the Smallville surgeons had found a green rock, or gem lodged in Whitney's chest. Close to his heart. She had no doubt it was the meteor rock from Lana's necklace that she gave to Whitney before he left for the Marines. This would be one of the best points she could use in her theory about the meteor rocks. Giving someone an extra finger was one thing, but bringing a man back from the dead?  
  
Clark disrupted her thoughts. "Why don't we drive down the back roads first? He's obviously trying to avoid people who recognize him. Maybe he's hiding out somewhere along there."  
  
She gave him a disbelieving look. "Sometimes I just don't know about you. One moment you're clueless, the next you're thinking like me. Richard told me that Whitney seemed like he wanted to be left alone, so you're probably right. But he wouldn't hide outside - he'd probably be looking for a barn or something."  
  
Clark nodded. "And that makes it easier. There are only three farms in close vicinity to here. The Howards', the Doddsons', and. and mine."  
  
"Then that makes it a lot easier. Come on, the longer we wait, the harder it could be to find him. We'll take my car." 


	9. Chapter 10

Whitney wandered around the inside of the house. The smell of baking wafted through the hallway from the kitchen, where some cookies lay cooling on the counter. It smelled delicious, and it made Whitney wonder if he liked cookies or not. His stomach grumbled, prompting him to grab a few.  
  
He continued to walk through the house, and eventually ended up in a bedroom. It wasn't too messy, there was a change of clothes lying strewn across the floor, and a plate with a pizza crust lying on the desk, but it was otherwise spotless. Whitney guessed that it belonged to the person he saw run from the house. A notebook lay on the desk by the plate. The cover read 'Clark's Journal'.  
  
"Well, Clark, let's find out what the secret to your speed is." Whitney opened the journal to the first page and started skimming through. There was a lot of angst-y stuff, mostly about Lana. He was surprised at how advanced Clark's writing skills seemed to be, the journal read like a novel. Whitney also discovered several articles written by Clark about different encounters with 'Kryptonite Freaks'. Kryptonite was also defined as the green meteor rocks that came from 'Krypton', and had reigned terror upon the town in the meteor shower of 1989.Clark and a girl named Chloe suspected that these rocks were responsible for the transformation or mutation of certain genes in people exposed to them, causing these people to have miraculous powers. Whitney wondered if he had been in Smallville when the meteor shower happened, or if he'd encountered a 'freak' himself.  
  
As he flicked through the book, he came upon a page filled to the brim with writing. It was the opening sentence that caught his interest though: 'How the hell can I be an alien?'  
  
Whitney wondered if that was supposed to be a metaphor of some sort. He was about to read on, when voices suddenly came from downstairs.  
  
A girl spoke first. "Well, he's not at either the Howards' or the Doddsons'. Suppose we should snoop around your place now?"  
  
"Yeah. Why don't you start checking the house, while I go take a quick look around the barn and the storm cellar. I'll be back in a sec," the second voice replied. It was male, and Whitney guessed it belonged to Clark.  
  
Forgetting about the journal, he dropped it and carefully walked towards the closet. Lucky for him it was a walk-in closet. Whitney carefully pulled the door over and ducked underneath some old clothes hanging at the back. The smell of dust and mothballs floated into his nostrils and he had to hold his breath to prevent himself from coughing or sneezing.  
  
* * *  
  
Clark checked to make sure Chloe had gone up the stairs before speeding out into the barn. There he stopped, and started searching the 'normal' way. If Whitney really was there, he couldn't risk him seeing him use his powers. It only took Clark a few minutes to check all the hiding spots he knew about - he and Pete used to have a lot of fun playing hide-and-seek in the barn on rainy days when they were kids. For the rest, he carefully scanned the barn with his x-ray vision. Next he went to the storm cellar. That was the one place Clark prayed he would not find Whitney. If he found out about the spaceship, he'd be bound to ask questions, then Chloe would find out sooner or later and Clark would be in deep trouble.  
  
The cellar was dark, but Clark didn't need a light to see. He walked quietly down the stairs. Tiny dust particles rose from the ground on which he stood, indicating that no one had been down there for at least a week. Just in case, though, Clark examined the cellar with his x-ray vision. Nothing. He was pretty sire Whitney was smart enough not to hide outside, which meant that if he was on the property, the only other place he could be would be in the house.  
  
Suddenly, Clark recalled leaving his journal out on his desk from earlier that day, when he had been writing and eating cold pizza for brunch. There was no doubt Chloe would feel the need to open it up and have a read if she found it. Clark quickly sped towards the house and ran up the stairs slightly faster than 'normal'. 


	10. Chapter 11

He reached his room before Chloe. She was in his parents' room. Clark found the journal open on his desk and paused. He didn't remember leaving it open. A sound came from the hallway, and Clark hastily shoved the book into one of his desk drawers. Chloe appeared in the doorway.  
  
"Oh!" she exclaimed.  
  
Clark shifted his weight. "Yeah, I, uh, finished outside so I thought I'd check the house with you."  
  
Chloe raised an eyebrow. "Sure Clark, whatever. Everything here seems normal so far – well, besides your room. This is a disaster area!" she smiled.  
  
He studied her carefully. She didn't seem to be acting any differently. If Chloe had read Clark's journal, she'd be on him for an interview in a snap. Clark let out a short breath of relief than looked at the floor. The last thing he needed at the moment was the same lecture from Chloe as his mom would give him when she got home.  
  
Everything seemed to be in it's place, but something was different. Clark's muscles tensed, and he began to scan with his x-ray vision.  
  
Whitney listened as Clark and Chloe began to search the room. The hairs on his neck stood on end as he felt like eyes were staring at him. He shivered.  
  
Clark saw the skeleton in the closet. It reminded him of the old Hallowe'en cartoons he and Pete used to watch where a character would open the door and a skeleton would pop out to scare them. He smiled, but came to the sudden realization of the seriousness of the situation. Whitney knew his secret.  
  
Chloe noticed Clark was staring awfully hard at the closet. "Clark, you're going to burn a hole through the door if you keep staring at it like that!" she joked.  
  
His heart sank into his stomach for a moment, then Clark understood she was only kidding. But Whitney was still in the closet, waiting.  
  
* * *  
  
Richard and Lana had given up after a few hours of searching. They went back to the Talon to rest for a bit. With the typical Saturday afternoon crowd occupying most of the staff, Lana took it upon herself to get some coffee for the both of them. She prepared it slowly, taking as much time as possible to think of possible ways to let Richard know that nothing would ever happen between them, if the topic ever came up. It sounded conceited in her head, but at times she thought he was trying to flirt with her.  
  
Richard waited patiently on the couch as Lana got their coffee. She had some sort of mysterious beauty about her, but filled with sadness. All day he hadn't been sure weather she was flirting with him or he was flirting with her, but he was definitely sure that Lana was hands-off. He would never betray Whitney like that, in case his memory ever did come back, which he hoped it would.  
  
"What's on your mind?" Lana asked, as she returned with their drinks.  
  
Richard took his steaming mug from Lana. "Oh, you know. The usual." He didn't know what the usual was, or if he should expand on it, so Richard left his comment short.  
  
Lana nodded in understanding. They were both virtually strangers with only one thing in common, and that one thing wasn't a very cheerful topic for conversation at the moment. She sipped her coffee anticipating their next spoken words.  
  
"So, um, this is a really nice place. Whitney told me you own it?" Richard looked at the artful Egyptian designs on the walls.  
  
"Well, I don't really own it, but I do have a good share of say in what goes on around here. Lex Luthor bought this place from my aunt before she moved to Metropolis."  
  
"Oh, I see." He nodded. She didn't leave much more room for conversation on that topic. Richard thought for a moment. "You know, maybe we should check back with Mrs. Fordman soon, I bet she's worried sick over everything that's happened today."  
  
Lana stared blankly at Richard for a moment. He was showing signs of discomfort in just sitting around doing nothing. "Yeah, you're right. No point in sitting around here when there's work to be done." She cringed at the lameness in her own words.  
  
* * *  
  
Chloe couldn't understand how Clark knew Whitney was in his closet. Whitney seemed quite surprised that they found him too, while showing obvious signs of embarrassment. She would feel stupid too, for hiding in someone's bedroom closet. And now, there he was, sitting across from her at Clark's kitchen table.  
  
Whitney shifted in his seat, feeling more humiliated by the moment. He was also scared. Chloe and Clark were both glancing at him at separate times in silence. No one knew what to say, so he spoke first, "Look, sorry for running away and everything. I was just sick of people coming into the hospital and gawking at me as if I were an alien or something." He was sure to put emphasis on the word 'alien' to see if Clark made any sort of reaction. There was a slight flicker in his eyes, but nothing more.  
  
"I understand how you feel," Chloe started, "but people are worried about you." She decided to be blunt. It was Whitney, after all, he could handle it. "We all thought you died, and suddenly you come back. Then you disappear again, plus you have no memory. I think we have some room for concern here."  
  
Clark lightly poked Chloe's foot with his under the table and gave her a small look of disapproval. "So you still don't remember anything?" he asked.  
  
"I think that if I did, you wouldn't be the first person to know." Whitney sneered. He didn't know why he was being so rude, but it did make him feel better. But soon after he said that, a flash of pain burned through his body. In his mind he watched in horror as a bombshell was falling from the sky towards him. Whitney tried to back up, but he fell out of his chair onto the floor. A face appeared. Someone who he'd seen before, many times. Someone who meant so much to him.  
  
"Oh my god, are you ok??" Chloe raced to Whitney's side to help him up along with Clark.  
  
Whitney looked up at her, confused for a moment. Then he realized what he saw was real. It was his own death. He stared carefully into Chloe's eyes and grasped her arm as she and Clark helped him up. "I need to find Lana." 


	11. Chapter 12

Chloe glanced at Clark as Whitney righted himself.

"We better get you back to the hospital then," Clark said. He had forgotten for the longest time that Whitney and Lana were a couple. But the keyword was '_were'_. Lana broke up with Whitney shortly before he died, although Whitney might not have known that now.

Whitney couldn't think of an excuse not to go back, so he nodded in agreement. Maybe he'd finally get some answers as to what happened, why he was there, and how he was alive.

Oldies rock music flowed out of the car stereo speakers as Lana and Richard drove back to the hospital to look for Mrs. Fordman. Richard looked over at Lana as he drove carefully along one of Smallville's many continuous dirt roads (he'd heard how dangerous driving in Smallville was). She was looking away from him out the window beside her, allowing the wind coming through the open window to gently blow her hair back. It was a cruel thought, but he hoped that she and Whitney wouldn't get back together. If Whitney eventually remembered anything, he would be sure to remember the crude break-up that was sent to him by videotape. Richard had consoled Whitney by telling him that he was lucky to have had Lana, Richard himself had never had a girlfriend.

Lana could feel Richard's eyes on her as she attempted to concentrate on looking out the window. Maybe he did have a thing for her after all. Why couldn't guys ever make up their minds?... Why couldn't she make up her mind? Whitney always meant so much to her, but he died. She was letting go. He didn't even remember her anyway, and Lana didn't know if she wanted to start their relationship all over again. Teenage love was always so screwed up. It just happened to be magnified when it comes to the teens of Smallville.

They pulled into the parking lot of the hospital for the second time that day. It was getting chillier outside as the sky darkened, and Lana hoped that Chloe and Clark had better luck on their search to find Whitney. She entered the hospital and saw Clark, Chloe, and Whitney standing at the front desk. An incredible feeling relief spread throughout her.

"Whitney!" Lana called out.

Whitney turned and saw Lana standing in the entrance, looking tired but relieved. They ran to meet each other.

"Lana, I remember! I remember us, what we had... What we have," he smiled. "And it was you who saved me. I kept your necklace with me in my chest pocket all the time, and when I was lying there in the field dying, the only thing that hurt the most was the thought of never seeing you again."

Lana started crying and embraced Whitney. It was then that she knew to whom her heart belonged, and that everything was going to be alright.


End file.
